Church director helps bridge economic divide
Community Christian Church, located at the corner of Ogden and Rickert in Naperville, is working hard to bridge cultural and economic gaps between those who have much and others less fortunate.
And the path that connects these people who appear to be polar opposites is a former stay-at-home mother who nearly six years ago found another calling.
Since 2004, Kirsten Strand has worked at Community Christian as director for a program known as Community 4:12 -- a ministry that is dedicated to uniting people and restoring communities by bringing people of difference races, cultures and economic resources together.
"The goal of the program is to bring development to low-income communities, and most of the areas we currently service are located in East Aurora and Joliet," she said. "For me, the Naperville connection is that most of the people we mobilize are right here in town."
One of the biggest Community 4:12 programs is on the horizon as Strand and an army of an estimated 1,500 Naperville-area volunteers will help make the annual Christmas Gift Mart a reality.
"We partnered a year ago with 30 area schools, not-for-profit groups and businesses who help collect and donate toys," Strand said. "On Dec. 19 of this year, we'll host the Gift Mart, where families on a low income that are struggling can come and buy gifts for their children at reduced prices. It gives people dignity as they can still buy things and not feel like they are getting a handout."
The program netted $13,000 dollars last year and Strand said her goal this time is to increase both participation and the amount of money the Gift Mart raises.
"We hope there will be 40 Naperville organizations, schools and businesses that participate," she said. "The reason this event grows each year is that people see that those less fortunate aren't looking for charity. We take people who are in a higher income bracket and through this event, they get to cross paths and meet families and people they would otherwise never know. People see that we all need each other and must work together."
Strand also oversees a back-to-school event where school supplies are collected and sold in a similar way. Volunteers who work the event often stay connected to the families they meet when buy supplies.
Strand, who said she has a master's degree in clinical psychology, found a new direction in life that has also produced life changes in her whole family. Today, the entire Strand clan is living what it preaches.
"We moved our family out of Naperville and into East Aurora where my fifth- and sixth-grade kids are a part of the minority culture," Strand said. "My husband quit his job in business and went back to school to become a teacher who now works in Aurora. We all realize that life is more than just about ourselves -- it's about human beings and we need to care for all people.
"I work in Naperville with a number of churches and it's rewarding to see so many people here in the community eager to volunteer," Strand added. "It struck me that there was a huge discrepancy that exists between people here in Naperville and folks who live just a few minutes away. For me and my family, it's become a personal challenge and our mission."
